230 
THE FIELD ARTILLERY OF ITALY. 
When opposed to the fire of shrapnel shelly the movements and posi¬ 
tions of the enemy under the above-mentioned conditions would be still 
more difficult and dangerous. 
The experiments made with case shot justify the limits that have been 
assigned, and suggest the importance of trying to obtain- a shrapnel 
shell which would be more effective at short distances. This does not 
appear to be a difficult problem to solve. 
It is true that these results are not based on actual experience; but 
the last wars have confirmed the theories founded by these results, and 
the fire of the Prussian artillery was just as destructive, if not more so, 
than theory led them to expect; and for accuracy of shooting their 
artillery is inferior to the Italian gun of 7*5 C . 
M.L.R. G-un of 12 c . 
The other Italian field artillery gun is the muzzle-loading rifled gun 
of 12° (4*7 ins.) calibre. 
It discharges three sorts of projectiles—viz., the common shell of 
llT36 k (24*3lbs.) weight; the shrapnel, containing 270 bullets, and 
weighing 12*68 k (28 lbs.); and the case shot, containing 41 balls. 
This gun fires common shell by direct fire , with elevation; it fires 
shrapnel and case shot point blank. 
With direct fire the common shell ranges to 3280 yds., beyond which 
curved fire must be employed, and is not good. The fire is very 
effective, but as it is not very exact, it does not do to employ it at more 
than 2187 yds. range, except at very large objects. Up to this limit 
good results would be obtained against columns of at least one 
battalion. 
By employing curved fire from this gun against villages, they may be 
set on fire and destroyed; and against fortifications the materiel m ay be 
seriously damaged, and the place rendered untenable. In fact, with the 
12° gun a breach can be made in any ramparts, at distances varying 
from 328 to 1000 yds., and in a fairly short time.* 
There are no certain details as to the results of the shrapnel fire from 
this gun; but it should be very effective at 1093 yds., because at this 
range the great defect of this gun—viz., inaccuracy—is not appreciable^ 
and is compensated for by the enormous cone of dispersion of the 270 
bullets. 
Fire from case shot from this gun is very good at distances of 219, 
328, 547, and 656 yds., if the ground be favourable—such as mac¬ 
adamized roads, &c. 
We have spoken of this gun of 12 c because it is still actually in the 
service, but it is to be shortly replaced by a steel gun of 8*7°, which for 
accuracy of fire, and in all other particulars, is equal, if not superior, to 
all the similar guns now used by the other powers that have re-organised 
their artillery—viz., Austria, Giermany, and France. 
It will be interesting to give a comparison of the armaments of the 
* This appears rather a bold assertion. The words of the original are:—“Con el canon de 12c 
se puede abrir brecha en cualqxder muralla, a distancias, &c.” One must not take it too literally* 
However; as the gun will soon be obsolete, these details are not very important.—J. C. D: 
